UK workers get a pay rise as minimum wage raised to £6.70 ahead of National Living Wage introduction

Clara Guibourg is an Online Writer at City A.M. She can be contacted at clara.guibourg@cityam.com. She is particularly passionate about women in business, technology and telecoms.

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The National Living Wage will be £7.20 next April (Source: Getty)

One million UK workers are getting a pay rise today, as the national minimum wage has gone up by 20p.

This sets the new adult rate at £6.70 per hour.

Youth rates are up too, as 18 to 20-year-olds will get £5.30 and under-18s get £3.87.

Another pay rise is on the way for at least 2.5 million Britons as the National Living Wage, introduced by chancellor George Osborne in the July Budget, comes into force next April, ensuring everyone over the age of 25 receives £7.20 an hour.

Although a significant rise, this falls short of the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended hourly rate. The foundation suggests a minimum of £9.15 in London and £7.85 for the rest of the UK.

Several UK companies are already charging ahead, lining up to raise their salaries beyond Osborne’s National Living Wage.